HEADLINES

Adrian Peterson

NFC Notes: 49ers, Housler, Peterson, Johnson

March 15th, 2015 at 10:44pm CST by Rob DiRe

The 49ers came into the offseason with holes at wide receiver, running back, and defensive line. General manager Trent Baalke filled each one of those holes during the first week of free agency, and will now be able to go into the NFL draft with his options open, writes Matt Barrows of the Sacramento Bee.

“When you get pigeonholed like that, other teams can maneuver, if they need to, to get ahead of you,” Baalke said last week. “So you’re always trying to get into that draft with the mindset that nobody can lock you in and say, ‘Boy, they’ve got to take this (position).’ Or, ‘They’ve got to take this position.’ You’re trying to get into it with the idea of we can go wherever we want to go and feel pretty good about it.”

  • The Falcons will be on the board with the eighth pick in this year’s NFL Draft, and former NFL executive Bill Polian expects the team to select a pass rusher, writes D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s probably the strength of this draft,” Polian said Wednesday. “So, it is a good time to be in that market. The odds are pretty good, I think, that somebody good in that position is going to be there for (the Falcons). That’s what you like to have. You like for the need line and the talent line to cross.”
  • Former Cardinals tight end Rob Housler had a visit with the Falcons, but nothing has come of it so far. The team has not yet agreed to terms with the 6’5″ pass catcher, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun.
  • As the Cardinals remain a logical trade partner with the Vikings for Adrian Peterson, Jordan Schultz of the Huffington Post writes that the two sides have been informally chatting about potential deals (via Twitter). Schultz writes that the parameters currently involve Peterson and a seventh-round pick for the Cardinals second-round pick. He also notes that the Cardinals, not the often linked Cowboys, are Peterson’s team of choice.
  • Safety Jeron Johnson is visiting with Washington tomorrow, reports Adam Caplan of ESPN (via Twitter). Caplan expects the former Seahawks safety to start if he signs there. After backing up Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor for 46 games over the past four years, both Caplan and Matt Williamson agree that Johnson could be a great value in free agency (via Twitter).

Adrian Peterson Rumors: Saturday

March 14th, 2015 at 2:01pm CST by Rob DiRe

Last we heard out of Minnesota, the Vikings were intent on keeping Adrian Peterson. However, there are still many details that need to be worked out before the two sides can come together again. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports provides some insight into Peterson’s possibilities.

Here are some recent updates revolving around Peterson’s situation:

  • Although the Vikings may want to see Peterson in purple in 2015, the star running back is still not happy in Minnesota, according to Robinson (via Twitter).
  • Robinson adds that if Peterson does land on the trading block that the Cardinals would likely offer a high draft pick for his services.
  • Robinson also writes that once teams start making trade offers, that the Vikings should be able to get at least a second-round pick for Peterson (via Twitter).
  • As for the oft-rumored Cowboys’ potential interest, Robinson believes that Peterson is not in their plans (via Twitter). He does not expect the Cowboys to join in the bidding.

Thursday Roundup: Weddle, Peterson, Harvin

March 12th, 2015 at 10:08pm CST by Rob DiRe

The Chargers still have over $21MM in cap space, and could look to spend that money to add to the team this offseason. Meanwhile, star safety Eric Weddle is coming into the last year of his contract and is unsure of his future with the team, writes Eric D. Williams of ESPN.com.

“I think I’ve earned [a new deal],” Weddle said. “But it has to work both ways. They have to want it, too. And if they don’t, then we will play it out and I’ll be a free agent next year “I want to be here, but I understand the situation and what they want to do. If I’m a part of it — great. If not, then I plan on making this season a memorable one and we’ll see what happens from there.”

  • The Vikings are focused on keeping Adrian Peterson, not trading him, writes Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune. But Vensel’s colleague at the Star Tribune, Michael Rand, believes the stars are aligning for the Cowboys to make a trade for Peterson.
  • Percy Harvin has finished his visit with the Bills, and he is mulling other possible visits, according to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (via Twitter). La Canfora adds that the Harvin situation could begin to wrap itself up as early as this weekend.
  • Brian Orakpo is in Tennessee on a visit and is planning to meet with the Cardinals next. However, he might not make it to Arizona if the Titans can get a deal in place before he leaves tonight, writes John Keim of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
  • Shelley Smith has left Seattle without a deal and will now visit the Broncos, tweets Mike Klis of the Denver Post.
  • Stephen Holder of the Indianapolis Star looks ahead to the rest of the Colts‘ offseason, noting that the team has already made its big splashes with the additions of Andre Johnson, Trent Cole, and Frank Gore. However, Holder expects Indianapolis to perhaps add a safety like Louis Delmas or Kendrick Lewis and/or an offensive lineman in the second wave of free agency, when better bargains can be had. The Colts currently have around $15-16MM in available cap space.
  • 49ers GM Trent Baalke does not appear especially concerned about losing last year’s starting cornerbacks Chris Culliver and Perrish Cox should those two players sign elsewhere in free agency. As Cam Inman of the San Jose Mercury News writes, Baalke is confident that the team has capable internal options to fill the void.

Rory Parks contributed to this post.

NFC Links: Vikings, 49ers, Cowboys

March 11th, 2015 at 7:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Some assorted notes from around the NFC…

  • The bridge hasn’t been completely burned between the Vikings and Adrian Peterson. ESPN.com’s Ben Goessling tweets that the organization is still trying to “work things out” with the embattled running back.
  • Prior to signing with the Bills, the Vikings asked Jerome Felton to bring them back a counter offer, according to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press (via Twitter). The fullback did just that, but Minnesota refused to come close to the four-year, $9.2MM deal he got from Buffalo.
  • 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said there’s no interest in bringing in defensive end Greg Hardy, according to Matt Barrows of The Sacramento Bee (via Twitter).
  • The Cowboys are hosting fullback Jed Collins tonight, according to Charean Williams of the Star-Telegram. The Cowboys are hunting for a replacement for Tyler Clutts, who is a free agent. He is the first player the Cowboys have hosted during free agency.

King’s Latest: Peterson, Cowboys, Forsett

March 11th, 2015 at 8:38am CST by Luke Adams

Following a wild Tuesday in the NFL, Peter King of TheMMQB.com introduced a one-time-only Wednesday Morning Quarterback column to reflect on yesterday’s highlights from around the NFL. The piece included a handful of interesting tidbits worth passing along, so let’s dive in….

  • King hears that running back Adrian Peterson hasn’t changed his mind about wanting out of Minnesota, and notes that if a team like the Jaguars or Raiders ends up landing DeMarco Murray, Jerry Jones and the Cowboys could be willing to move a draft pick for the Vikings star.
  • Speaking of Murray and the Cowboys, LeSean McCoy‘s lucrative new contract with the Bills is having a “chilling effect” on Dallas’ efforts to re-sign the NFL’s leading rusher, says King.
  • The Ravens would very much like to re-sign Justin Forsett, but are expected to bow out if the bidding gets too high.
  • Seahawks GM John Schneider only had first-round grades on 16 players in this year’s draft class, so when he parted with the No. 31 overall pick in yesterday’s Jimmy Graham trade, he essentially viewed that pick as a second-rounder.
  • The league appears to be concerned, but “not fuming,” over all the contract agreements that were leaked before the start of the free agent period. We heard yesterday that the league had asked teams to hang onto their phone records, but King doesn’t believe we’ll see much more than “an angry finger-wag” at teams and their general managers.
  • Jameis Winston met with commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL officials last Thursday, in a meeting that was instigated by the young quarterback and his camp, writes King. The purpose of the sit-down was to allow Winston to tell his own story about his history of off-field incidents, and to get the lay of the land for his future in the NFL. “He went out of his way to make a good impression, and to show that he understood what was going to be expected of him in the NFL,” one league official told King.

NFC FA Rumors: Hardy, Peterson, Worilds

March 10th, 2015 at 1:32pm CST by Zachary Links

Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter) hears there’s at least some cursory interest in Greg Hardy from the 49ers. Still, it’s very early in the process and his signing might drag on for some time. No matter who signs him, Robinson says (link) that it’ll be a slow process and he expects to see some media leaks to see how it plays publicly. More from the NFC..

  • Vikings running back Adrian Peterson met with the Wilfs in New York on Monday and GM Rick Spielman, according to Tom Pelissero of USA Today. It was a continuation of the discussion Peterson had last week with Spielman and Vikings coach Mike Zimmer, who huddled with Peterson for about four hours at his home outside Houston to discuss his future with the team.
  • Jason Worilds has a clear idea of what he wants but both the Giants and Steelers think that price is too high, Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL.com tweets. As one source told the NFL.com scribe, “We’re not paying $1MM per sack.” Worilds notched 7.5 sacks in 2014.
  • B.J. Raji‘s preference is to return to the Packers but he’s weighing offers and his return is no sure thing right now, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
  • The Lions are still trying to get something done with Nick Fairley but he’s got some interest elsewhere, Robinson tweets.
  • The Packers are not pursuing Andre Johnson at this time, Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com tweets. It appears that Johnson was only being looked at in case Randall Cobb went elsewhere.
  • The Falcons are expected to be in play for Rams tight end Lance Kendricks, according to Jim Thomas of the Post Dispatch (on Twitter).

Vikings Notes: Murray, Peterson, McCourty

March 9th, 2015 at 4:40pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest on the Vikings..

  • If the Cowboys let DeMarco Murray walk, Adrian Peterson would be interested in going there, provided that Dallas would guarantee at least $25MM on a deal that amounts to a three-year pact, Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports tweets. Robinson adds (link) that if the Cowboys won’t pay Murray $8MM per year and guarantee $25MM+, they’re unlikely to deal for Peterson and do the same thing.
  • The Vikings were in on Devin McCourty until the bidding reached $7MM per year, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN tweets. That could be an indication of how far they’re willing to go on free agent safeties.
  • The Vikings have also inquired about linebacker Brooks Reed, Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press tweets. The Cardinals, Jets, Raiders, and Bears are interested in Reed but he’s reportedly leaning towards signing with the Falcons.
  • You can count the Vikings among the teams that are interested in cornerback Davon House, Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune tweets.
  • The Vikings will likely host cornerback Brice McCain for a visit, Andrew Krammer of 1500 ESPN tweets.
  • The Vikings have inquired on free agent linebacker Andrew Gachkar and may bring him in for a visit later in the week, Wolfson tweets.
  • The Vikings have checked on guys like Bradley Fletcher and Sterling Moore, but everything is still preliminary with both, Ben Goessling of ESPN.com tweets.

NFC Rumors: Peterson, Hoyer, Eagles, Cards

March 8th, 2015 at 4:09pm CST by Dallas Robinson

If Adrian Peterson is able to work his way out of Minnesota, his preferred destination would be Arizona, tweets Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports, who adds that the veteran running back’s other top landing spots are the Colts, Cowboys, Buccaneers, and Chargers. For their part, the Cardinals have denied any interest in the Vikings running back, adds Robinson’s colleague Rand Getlin (via Twitter). However, Getlin does tweet that a source told him the Cards’ release of Darnell Dockett was done to clear out cap room for Peterson.

Let’s check out the latest from the NFC as free agency approaches…

  • Both the Vikings and the 49ers have expressed interest in quarterback Brian Hoyer, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (Twitter link). But with other teams like the Jets and Texans (who could potentially offer a starting role) showing interest, as well, I’d bet the Hoyer would look unfavorably upon joining Minnesota or San Francisco, where he’d be the clear backup.
  • Though they’re about to add Byron Maxwell, the Eagles could still use another corner, but the club hasn’t shown interest in either Buster Skrine or Chris Culliver, tweets Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com, who adds in a separate tweet that Walter Thurmond is also not on Philly’s radar.
  • Washington appears set on adding help along the defensive line — they’re intrigued by Terrance Knighton, and they’ve also expressed interest in free agents Stephen Paea and Dan Williams, per John Keim of ESPN.com (Twitter link).
  • After re-signing Scott Tolzien earlier today, the Packers aren’t interested in retaining fellow backup QB Matt Flynn, tweets Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.
  • The Cardinals are interested in linebacker Brian Orakpo, per Mike Jurecki of FOX Sports 910 (Twitter link). Arizona is also interested in Trent Cole (Twitter link via Adam Caplan of ESPN), so it looks like they’re targeting OLB help.
  • The Buccaneers are looking for safety help, and there is mutual interest between the club and FA Ron Parker, according to Roy Cummings of the Tampa Tribune (Twitter link).

NFC North Notes: Peterson, Suh, Guion

March 4th, 2015 at 9:11pm CST by Zachary Links

Adrian Peterson has been the model of consistency as an NFL running back, Michael Rand of the Star Tribune writes. The question now is, will he continue to bring that on-field consistency for the Vikings? The latest on that and other news from the NFC North..

  • Peterson met with Vikings coach Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman, but it doesn’t sound like he’s quite ready to kiss and make up. “I appreciate Rick and Coach Zimmer coming down to see me today,” Peterson said in a statement, according to Josina Anderson of ESPN (via Twitter). “We had a great dialogue and they were able to understand where I was coming from and concerns my family and I still have. We respect each other and hopefully the situation can pan out so that everyone involved is content.”
  • Packers defensive tackle and pending free agent Letroy Guion has agreed to a deferred prosecution agreement, which will result in probation, as Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com writes. Packers general manager Ted Thompson said last month at the NFL scouting combine that the team is monitoring Guion’s situation and coach Mike McCarthy has indicated that he’d be open to having him back. Tyler Dunne of the Journal-Sentinel (on Twitter), meanwhile, spoke to the State Attorney’s office and heard that no agreement has been reached yet. If the end result is probation for Guion, it’ll be highly preferable to jail, which was a possibility.
  • The Lions are focused on keeping their own, Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com tweets. They haven’t given up on keeping Ndamukong Suh – even though it’ll be tough – and they’ve had productive talks with fellow free agent defensive tackle Nick Fairley this week.

Vikings Notes: AP, QB, Jennings, Munnerlyn

March 4th, 2015 at 3:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman were among a contingent that flew to Houston today to meet with Adrian Peterson, as Tom Pelissero of USA Today details. Now that the running back has been moved back to the exempt list, open communication is once again permitted, and this will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two sides in months, according to Pelissero. While Peterson hasn’t asked to be traded or released, he is “uneasy” about the possibility of returning to Minnesota, so the goal of today’s meeting for the club is likely to ease some of those concerns.

As we wait to hear how the meeting in Houston goes, let’s round up a few more Vikings-related notes….

  • Sources tell Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports that while Peterson hasn’t ruled out the possibility of continuing to play for the Vikings, he has also considered trade destinations, and may be open to restructuring his contract to accommodate a deal. Robinson identifies the Cardinals, Colts, Cowboys, Chargers, and Buccaneers as Peterson’s preferred destinations if he leaves Minnesota.
  • The Vikings reached an agreement earlier today with the Bills on a trade that will send Matt Cassel to Buffalo, which means the club will be in the market for a backup quarterback this month. According to Ben Goessling of ESPN.com (via Twitter), the Vikings already have a specific backup in mind. Goessling suggests keeping an eye on Charlie Whitehurst, who was with Norv Turner in San Diego — Turner also has a connection to free-agent-to-be Brian Hoyer.
  • Spielman has said the Vikings aren’t likely to make a big splash in free agency, but as Matt Vensel of the Star Tribune observes (via Twitter), the Cassel deal is the latest move toward creating the cap room necessary to keep all free agent options open.
  • Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities tweets that the Vikings will likely restructure Greg Jennings‘ contract at some point this month. Conversely, Goessling hears that the team hasn’t approached cornerback Captain Munnerlyn about reworking his deal (Twitter link). Given the cap room created by the Cassel trade, restructuring Munnerlyn’s contract may not be necessary, says Goessling.
Load More Posts